#AgeingIn: Anonymous ‘Ageism Anarchists’ launch campaign targeting Aus music industry

A new social media campaign has launched to address systemic ageism within the Australian music industry.

It arrives with a very clear message to radio programmers, promoters, booking agents and the wider industry sector to stop perpetuating systemic structures of oppression.

Launching on Instagram on Tuesday night this week (September 14th), the anonymous collective of ‘Ageism Anarchists’ of artists and music industry professionals said they were “inspired by a recent ill-conceived social media post” (presumably that triple j tweet). However, they noted their efforts are not targeted at any singular organisation.

The movement is gaining pace in the same widespread speed that Beneath The Glass Ceiling had when it launched to push Australian music’s #metoo movement forward in August 2020.

Among the immediate influx of support from musicians, prominent figures in the Australian music industry and media alike, were Music Victoria, Head of Music at the Australia Council for the Arts Kirsty Rivers, and musicians Guthrie, Elana Stone (All Our Exes Live In Texas), Mama Kin and Jen Cloher.

Using the hashtag #AgeingIn, Jen Cloher wrote a post about the need for access for all marginalised groups in our music industry.

“If we want to be respected as elders in the music industry, we need to respect our elders,” read part of the post. “If we want women and non-binary folks of all ages to flourish, then we have to work on access for all. If we want enduring change we need to organise and build movements based on policy.”

Read Jen Cloher’s full post here.

The Instagram page is sharing personal accounts of ageism via Instagram Stories and currently features one anonymised account on its timeline, which you can read below.

“We are taking this opportunity to provide ageism in the music industry with the airtime it deserves, sharing our stories in the hope of encouraging an equitable and sustainable future for all artists,” said the Ageism Anarchists collective.

The collective has called for further public discourse regarding the topic. Those who want to share their support for the campaign, either as an individual or an organisation, are encouraged to share notes of solidarity by tagging @ageing_in in their social posts and by using the hashtag #AgeingIn.

Supporters have been asked to avoid naming names and organisations at all costs.

“We ask that you share your own experience of ageism as an accompaniment to the social tile; however, if you feel uncomfortable, just showing solidarity with the collective will assist us greatly in getting the message heard.”

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.